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LOS ANGELES, California (Reuters) -- One of rock 'n' roll's oddest soap operas took a new twist on Tuesday when the two former lead singers of Van Halen said they would tour together now that the hugely popular rock band has run aground.

Original singer David Lee Roth, 47, and his replacement Sammy Hagar, 54, told reporters they would hit the road in May for a co-headlining tour of U.S. arenas.

The tour is subtly billed as "Song for Song: The Heavyweight Champs of Rock And Roll," a reference to Hagar's pugilist past and to Roth's enthusiasm for martial arts.

It unites two performers who sold a combined 70 million records worldwide with Van Halen, one of the most successful American rock bands of the last 25 years. And also one of the most chaotic: the band has been through three singers, and has not released a new album in almost four years.

The Roth/Hagar tour will allow fans to hear such Van Halen classics as "Panama," "Runnin' with the Devil" and "Why Can't This Be Love" -- albeit without the fiery guitar of Van Halen's musical mastermind, Eddie Van Halen. The influential rocker has been battling cancer, but is now reportedly cancer-free.

Mr. Roth, I presume
Roth co-founded Van Halen in 1974 with the Dutch-born Van Halen brothers, Eddie and drummer Alex, and bass player Michael Anthony. Success led to ego problems, and Roth quit in 1985 for a failed solo career. Hagar came on board that year and maintained the band's momentum. But that run came to a messy end in 1996. Hagar claimed he was fired during a Father's Day call at home from Eddie Van Halen; the band claims Hagar quit.

At that time Hagar approached Roth about touring together, but was rebuffed. Then Roth revived the idea a few months ago, and the two met for the first time to work out creative issues.

Tuesday's news conference, at a trendy Hollywood bar, marked only their second meeting, and it underscored the huge differences between the pair.

The flashy Roth, dressed in black nylon trousers and shirt, was accompanied by three bodyguards, three masked catwomen in fluorescent unitards and a beer-drinking midget sporting an Andy Warhol wig. Hagar turned up solo in jeans and T-shirt.

Roth, the consummate salesman, charmed the crowd with witty one-liners and double entendres. Hagar brought things back to earth with sensible comments.

"Between the two of us," Roth declared, "What you have is quintessential Americana. You couldn't pick a more appropriate time for that. Whether you owned any of the records or the albums between the two of us ... you've heard Sammy's or my voice tearing out of a pick-up truck in front of you in the driveway of a local Burger King for how many f-----' summers."

Both seemed ready to bury the hatchet, although Hagar admitted, "It's not like Dave and I are old buddies or anything." Instead, they view the tour as a friendly competition, seeing who can blow the other one off the stage. They have not yet decided who will open for whom.

Roth an 'egomaniac'
Hagar told Reuters afterwards that he doubted there would be much backstage chumminess between the two, and he expected Roth would soon get annoying.

"He's like an egomaniac -- in a positive sense, that he really, really thinks he's the greatest thing that ever walked on this planet."

But separately, Roth told Reuters said he and Hagar have a lot in common "just by virtue of a common delight in an overly packed backstage dressing room."

Asked to predict the reaction from the Van Halen brothers, Roth told reporters said he did not know and did not care. Neither has communicated with the Van Halens in several years. Hagar hoped Anthony would come out on the tour with him.

Amid Hagar's departure in 1996, Roth stunned the music world by recording a few songs with his former bandmates and appearing with them at the MTV Video Music Awards that September. But they soon tired of each other, and the band recruited its third singer, Gary Cherone. His 1998 debut with the band, "Van Halen III" stiffed and Cherone later left the band.

The "Song for Song" roadshow will begin May 29 in Cleveland, Ohio, and dates on the open-ended tour currently run through June 29. Both hoped they could record together too.

Originally posted by SToRM:Roth an 'egomaniac'
Hagar told Reuters afterwards that he doubted there would be much backstage chumminess between the two, and he expected Roth would soon get annoying.

"He's like an egomaniac -- in a positive sense, that he really, really thinks he's the greatest thing that ever walked on this planet."

Damn, Sam. Don't sugarcoat it. Tell us how you really feel.

"Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that."

"This is a lttle prayer dedicated to the separation of church and state. I guess if they are going to force those kids to pray in schools they might as well have a nice prayer like this: Our Father who art in heaven, and to the republic for which it stands, thy kingdom come, one nation indivisible as in heaven, give us this day as we forgive those who so proudly we hail. Crown thy good into temptation but deliver us from the twilight's last gleaming. Amen and Awomen. ."

"I think it's the duty of the comedian to find out where the line is drawn and cross it deliberately."

Well everyone knows they're doing it for the money. Neither can bring in that much on their own, but combined they'll do well at the box office. I don't think either of them really care what the other says; they've slung so much shit at each other over the years, any "insult" one casts probably rolls off the other's back like water.

Originally posted by Lou:Well everyone knows they're doing it for the money. Neither can bring in that much on their own, but combined they'll do well at the box office. I don't think either of them really care what the other says; they've slung so much shit at each other over the years, any "insult" one casts probably rolls off the other's back like water.

True, but the difference is:

Sam wants the money.
Dave needs the money.

If you had to compare the two, Sam does pull in a bit more in concert. And, it isn't as though he needs the money from this gig, with his other ventures in the background.

Dave doesn't really have anything else, unfortuantely, and that's a shame because he actually is very talented. He just doesn't use it to his full potential.

"Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that."

"This is a lttle prayer dedicated to the separation of church and state. I guess if they are going to force those kids to pray in schools they might as well have a nice prayer like this: Our Father who art in heaven, and to the republic for which it stands, thy kingdom come, one nation indivisible as in heaven, give us this day as we forgive those who so proudly we hail. Crown thy good into temptation but deliver us from the twilight's last gleaming. Amen and Awomen. ."

"I think it's the duty of the comedian to find out where the line is drawn and cross it deliberately."

Originally posted by AllSoupNoFish:As for this notion that Dave needs money so bad, Is anyone here familiar with the chain of 40+ grochery stores that Dave owns. How about the rest of his financial holdings? No? OK. Thanks.

Definitely brings new meaning to "not in my store you don't!" [img]graemlins/drunk.gif[/img]

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